[Winona Online Democracy]
Paul...you make a very good point...I, for one, do not believe that the
Florida mess could happen in Minnesota, but there is always room for
improvement.
You refer to the precinct-based vote tabulators that they use in the
twin cities...there was a major push early in her term by Mary Kiffmeyer
to encourage greater Minnesota to adopt these machines.
They are expensive, costing at least two or three thousand dollars
each...but as the seven county metro area gains clout in the state
legislature, we need to make sure that every rural Minnesota vote
counts. We did great in November in Winona County...not a single
spoiled ballot out of 25,000 cast, according to Cherie MacLennan...
but the new machines would help ensure good counts each time.
It may have already been posted here, but I loved Molly Ivans'
take on the current system. "Did you know," she asks, "that
elections are run by our Grandparents and no one has bought them
any new equipment for 35 years?"
Two counties in Wisconsin still use that 88 hole punch card they
used in Florida, they are not used in Minnesota. We have a good
system that could be better...and there is no more politically
opportune time to ask the county board (who better?) to make the
investment for all county precincts...we would be assured a more
accurate count, and we could all go to bed a little earlier, too...
those new machines keep running totals and just tell you the
results when polls close...the ballots are already read.
God save the President-elect...whoever that may be. I will be
satisfied with whatever result if it is arrived at as prescribed
by the constitution. I have to admit, however, that one prospect
for resolution troubles me, even though I know it is constitutional.
The idea that a Republican majority in the Florida legislature
could simply choose to annul the election and name it's own slate
of electors to vote for George Bush...that may be constitutional,
but while that may have been palatable to our eighteenth century
founders, it does not conform to my twenty-first century ideas about
how a president is elected. I have no argument with federalism,
but the president should be elected by the people of the states,
not by legislators of those states...
I would like to advocate for a constitutional amendment to direct
that electors be selected in a popular vote, but in general I am
opposed to tinkering with a document that has served us well all
these many years...this kind of situation probably won't be seen
for another 225 years.
I would advocate for an equal rights amendment...but that's fodder
for a later discussion...
Have a great day, all
Bobb Sebo
Paul Double wrote:
>
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> While the nation looks at Florida raising questions of election procedures
> etc. we need to look at outstate Minnesota and the fact that in our primary
> election this year 20-30 percent of our ballots were rejected because they
> were not filled out incorrectly. This is not new but what is new is the
> fact that in the metro area scanners reviewed those ballots for correctness
> (no cross overs) and spit out the bad ballots to be redone until they are
> correct. Would this have changed the US DFL Senate race or any other
> contested Federal or State Constitutional Office race had the number two
> candidate been stronger in the rural area? What if the difference in vote
> count was 1000 votes with 20-30 percent of the thousands of non counted
> votes coming from Greater Minnesota where the number two was the strongest.
>
> Do we need to wait until we have a public problem, like Florida?
> Was the DFL Senate Primary Winner the true choice of all of Minnesota?
> Should the Legislature fund the machines so that all of Minnesota is heard
> not just the metro area?
> Will will support technology funding for the Minnesota Secretary of State
> efforts to get it right every time?
>
> Paul Double
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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